1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved holddown bar for a hatch cover of a railroad car or the like.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known to applicant to provide a holddown bar for a hatch cover of a railroad car or the like, the holddown bar having opposed ends one of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted to the car and the other of which is adapted to be releasably latched to the car while a medial portion thereof intermediate the opposed ends is adapted to extend across the hatch cover and carries a sealing gasket in a channel thereof that is adapted to engage against the hatch cover, the medial portion of the holddown bar having a surface adapted to engage a certain structure of the car outboard of the hatch cover when the holddown bar is pivoted to a hatch opening position thereof.
For example, see FIGS. 1-16 of this application which disclose part of the subject matter of the copending patent application, Ser. No. 412,416, filed Aug. 27, 1982.
However, while the applicant of this application is a co-inventor of the claimed inventions set forth in the aforementioned patent application; it was the sole suggestion of applicant to provide for the integral securement of the gasket illustrated in FIG. 16 of this application, as well as FIG. 16 of the aforementioned copending patent application, namely, by having a portion of the gasket extend through an opening in the medial portion of the holddown bar so that an interlocking portion of the gasket will be disposed on the outboard surface of the holddown surface of the holddown bar.
Thus, it is applicant's belief that the structure and method of such FIGS. 16, as well as further suggestion in the copending patent application that the medial portion of the holddown bar can be provided with a longitudinal slot through which part of the gasket can be disposed, are really the sole invention of applicant and therefore do not provide an anticipation of the invention of this application as the same actually comprises part of the invention of this application as will be apparent hereinafter.